The Masks we Wear
by Catriona-Yagri
Summary: Things changed when the Ghouls appeared but nothing changes more than Naruto life than when he meets a certain mask maker. Are the shinobi ready to deal with mankind's natural predator? This story is being rewritten. you are welcome to leave suggestions.


**_I don't own anything._**

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Uta lived a simple life in his little basement shop surrounded by his masks and the occasional body hidden in the back. Now and then he got a customer, when that happed it was both fun and annoying for him. Fun because there was a person in his shop wishing to buy something (and he could scare them), which in turn gave him something to do, annoying because he had to hide his beautiful kakugan.

He often wondered what would happen if a ninja wandered into his humble home, so far only the civilians of Konohakagure had found the little staircase that lead down to the HySy art mask studio. It both excited and scared him when he thought of a ninja walking in through the door. Would they find him harmless, suspicious, scary, weird or would one see through his little act as a common mask maker and see the vicious killing machine that he truly was.

He hoped not. Konoha was a cool place, there were no other ghouls around, he made sure of that the entire village was now recognised by the other weaker ghouls as his hunting grounds. The Torture and Interrogation department usually had a fresh body lying around that he could grab a good meal from when he didn't feel like finding a drunk to eat.

_Ninja villages are the best,_ thought Uta as he continued to munch on some poor alcoholic's hand.

"Where did that brat go?" _Hmm sounded like that came from upstairs, perhaps I should put lunch away._

The plain black door opened with its signature creak while Uta was dealing with putting his lunch away in a deep freeze hidden under the floor boards in the store room. A boy no older than eight with spikey blond hair and a blinding orange jumpsuit cackled as he said. "Ha ha served that arse right." Before dissolving into another fit of laughter, quickly recovering he looked around at the variety of masks that lined the plain white walls and sat in sparkling clean glass cases, more masks sat on mannequins in the centre of the room, the dim lights adding to the creepy feel. His mouth open in awe as he roamed around the room, upon seeing a black mask of a snarling dog he picked it up and looked it over before putting it on.

"I am the great dog spirit and I have been angered by you Sasuke- teme as punishment you must admit Uzumaki Naruto is the better and cooler than you. Muhahaha." The boy, Naruto, fell into another giggling fit as he thought of the teme face while admitting that he, Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage to be, was better than him. Taking off the mask he looked at it in more detail, it could be called a dog but it resembled a black fox's snarling face more than one of a dogs.

"Boo." It was calm and quiet and very surprising, Naruto jumped dropped the mask and screamed in the most ninja of ways.

"Waaaaaaaah." He whipped around putting his hand to his chest as if it could calm his panicking heart only to be surprised again by Uta's general appearance. They stood like that for a while, Naruto backed up against the wall his eyes why in fear as he looked at the older male. Said male had tattoos along his arms, neck and some on his chest which could be seen through the thin white singlet he wore. There were piercing in his lip as well as above his eye brow, his kakugan on as he looked at Naruto in amusement.

"I thought I would surprise you." Naruto was surprised that the man's voice was so soft and well normal. He held a tattooed finger in front of Naruto's face before gesturing for him to follow him as he walked to wards his office at the back, not the storeroom. "My name is Uta, you may call me, Uta."

"Uh, I am Uzumaki Naruto." Said Naruto cautiously before adding. "Future Hokage, Dattebayo!" Uta raised a brow at the verbal tick but he wasn't one to judge. "Eh, hey Uta- san where are you taking me?"

"You came to buy a mask didn't you?" The scary looking man asked.

"Hehe about that, not really I just needed to hide from some people." Naruto cringed when he saw man staring at him. Uta clutched his chin as if trying to solve a mystery.

"So you were the brat, hmm." Naruto scratched the back of his head while grinning impishly Uta looked down tilting his head to the side still clutching his chin mulling on what he had just said before bending down to Naruto's eye level and stared at him before saying. "What did you do?" Naruto looked anxiously towards the studio door wondering if he could out run the scary Uta.

"I might have dropped some orange paint on him." Naruto muttered then saw Uta's unimpressed look and more confidently stated. "He started it, he sold me really expensive bad food so I got him back. Dattebayo!"

"Ah, so you are a prankster." Said Uta. "Why don't you wear a mask then no one could catch you."

"Huh, how does that work." Naruto said with a puzzled look.

"If you wear a mask and different clothing." Uta mentally cringed at the insanely bright and annoying jumpsuit. "People won't know it's you there for you won't get caught, meaning you can prank more people." He looked down at Naruto again to see his reaction. Uta now ranked just below ramen on the awesome scale.

"Wait, um I can't afford a mask." Naruto looked down in shame when he thought of his monthly allowance. "I only have enough to pay rent and get important stuff like ramen."

"Hmm." Uta's thinking pose returned as he sat down on a stool. "If you come here after school and on Saturdays and help out with the shop I'll give it to you free of charge." The words were had an immediate effect on the hyperactive eight year old his face lit up as he grinned.

"Okay, cool so can I have the foxy one?"

"No, I prefer to make them from scratch more fun. Now do you have any allergies?" Uta questioned as he stood up and forced Naruto on to the now vacated stool. Before starting to measure the boys head.

"Uh no."

"Favourite food?"

"Ramen!"

"Prettiest girl in your class?"

"Sakura- chan."

"Half mask or full?"

"Full."

"Where do you live?"

Naruto froze then looked at the tattooed man before asking. "Is this all really need for making a mask?"

"No. But the more I know of you the more motivated I feel to finish." He replied in his same bored but amused and cheerful way.

"Oh, okay I live three blocks away from the hokage office and another four from the academy."

"Okay you're done. I will see at the academy in a few days' time, Uzumaki Naruto." And with that Naruto was out the door fast than a ninja could say free ramen waving to his new awesome, but scary friend. While Uta simply sat down and rocked back and forth nulling over the energetic boy that was Uzumaki Naruto only to give up and think. _I should finish lunch now._

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**_Cat out_**


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